Youth Scene: Crazy Bananas win championship

The Crazy Bananas 8U team from Newport-Mesa won the AYSO 97 Winter Season Championships going undefeated during the season and 8U playoffs.

The Crazy Bananas beat Team Jeffs and FC Newport in the semi-finals en route to the championship game against the Atomic Bombs on the final weekend, when they won, 3-0.

The Crazy Bananas came together as a team during the final two weekends of the season and “played their best soccer of the season,” Coach Kevin O’Neil said.

The Crazy Bananas team was paced by leading scorers Isaiah Munguia, Travis O’Neil and Sean McCarthy, while defenders Jordan Stucki, Adam Casler and Charlie Swanson provided stout defense throughout the season. Goalies Michael Woodward and David Rudenstein played excellent defense and stopped huge shots from opposing teams while multi-purpose player Reid Isaacs was all over the field.

The Crazy Bananas were coached by Kevin O’Neil and Scott Stucki.

— Reader submission

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Thunder win area

Corona del Mar’s own AYSO Girls U10 Epic Thunder team clinched the Area 11Q championship Dec. 19.

Competing against teams from Costa Mesa, Irvine, Newport Beach and Tustin the Epic Thunder girls were undefeated during the final tournament.

Corona del Mar’s team outscored Costa Mesa, 3-1, in a very competitive and aggressive championship game.

The winning squad included Jordan Allen, Molly Boyle, Annabel Facey, Kristin Frederick, Lucy Milman, Simone Oberreiter and Sela Safferman, as well as quintuplets Victoria, Kaitlyn, Savanah and Elizabeth Turner.

The team was coached by Fred Turner, a first-time soccer coach, and John Boyle.

— Reader submission